Workday at Styal on 28th June 2015

Ten of us turned out at Styal for a varied workday.  First thing was on to the Mill Meadow to look for an item of jewellery lost by a visitor the day before.  Despite the ranger having searched the area by torchlight the night before (looking for shiny things) and 14 of us getting down on our hands and knees we didn't find it.  Then we split into two groups for the main work: one group went with a ranger to the Southern Woods to pull up Himalayan Balsam while the other group became the first NT volunteers to work on a new purchase, namely Bank House Farm which is just behind the Mill Meadow.

There we cut invading thistles by using scythes prior to the fields being treated with herbicide.  We may in the future be doing a lot more work on the farm.

Adrian

MNTV social at the Phanthong Thai in Wilmslow Sat 27th June 2015

As well as being an MNTV social, this evening was also to add to the numerous 'big' birthday celebrations of Phil, one of our MNTV members.

Phil selected the venue which was the Phanthong Thai restaurant in Wilmslow (by the Kings Arms on Alderley Road) and 7 of us met there for a 7.30pm booking.

We had a lovely evening as the food and the wine flowed (for those of us that weren't driving that is!). Five of us selected the banquet and it was fabulous, the others choosing from the a la carte menu. Although there was the occasional chilli to watch out for, which certainly brought tears to Andy's eyes, the food was really tasty, beautifully presented and beautifully cooked. I had never been there before and will certainly be adding it to my list:-)

The conversations were also fascinating including the discovery that Phils mum and Daniels mum were friends in their youth (we saw photo's of them as bridesmaids) proving that it really is 'a very small world'!

Keep partying Phil!!

Hayfield on Sunday 21st June 2015

A select group of six volunteers met up with four rangers various dogs and two of the ranger’s lads in the Set Valley car park in Hayfield this week.  From the meeting point we decamped to the road outside the Sportsman pub where we parked our cars and piled into the properties brand new minibus to complete the journey to Kinder reservoir. After a short but steep walk along the reservoirs boundary wall we reached the first work site, a plantation of mixed trees, where we proceeded to cut the bracken threatening to swamp the trees from around their bases using the sword like slashers provided.

 

We also replaced some tree guards and generally tided up.  Lunch was taken on the sunny hill side overlooking the reservoir with the view of Mount Famine, Dale Head and the dark looming bulk of Kinder Scout making for an atmospheric back drop.

In the afternoon we walked along the track bordering the water for about quarter of a mile to the next work site on a very steep hill. We finished work about three o’clock and made our way back to the minibus picking up discarded tree guards and other detritus on the way.

 

Thanks to Shane and the lads for looking after us and providing an interesting work day and to Tim for the brownies which he swore he had baked himself but unfortunately had forgotten to take out of the Morrison’s cake box!
Text from Tim, photo's from Adrian    

Lyme Park workday on 14 June 2015

A warm day with a variety of tasks left most of today's 16 volunteers pleasantly tired.  We worked in a small copse/plantation of beech trees just to the right of the drive as you approach the house.  This had been planted some years ago.  Planting them close together helped create strong, upright trunks as they competed for light and they had been protected from Lyme Park's deer by high wire fencing.  The group removed the deer fence and helped put up tree guards round the best trees.  Over the next few years the rangers will fell the other trees in the copse to leave the specimens standing alone as imposing giants in the future.

Removing the deer fence meant digging up the fence posts, some of which were easier to get out than others.  There was also a good amount of already felled timber to drag out to be trailered away and made into firewood, with the smaller brash formed into habitat piles.  Other tasks carried out were cutting down thistles, clearing several paths of overhanging branches and some wood chopping by hand.

Mick

Workday at Styal on 7 June 2015

Ten of us worked at Styal today: four of us replaced a fence in the northern woods and the rest pulled balsam in the woods nearby.  When we had exhausted the material for the fence we ended the day and went with ranger John to look round the upper garden for the house.  We bumped into Malcolm Gilks, an old member from many years ago, and talked about old times.

Adrian